Job Title: Events Manager
Supervisor: Director of Foundation and Corporate Partnerships
Classification: Exempt
Hiring Salary Range: $70,000 - $75,000 per year
About UMOM New Day Centers: Founded in 1964, UMOM is Arizona's largest provider of services for families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to end family homelessness by restoring hope and rebuilding lives. With an annual operating budget of $23 million dollars, UMOM provides shelter, supportive services, and housing programs to families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. UMOM serves over 15,000 unique individuals across all our services annually, including those families receiving support at the Family Housing Hub, Maricopa County's family coordinated entry system.
Position Description: The Events Manager is a member of the Development Team responsible for leading the strategy, planning, and execution of UMOM's fundraising and community engagement events. This role is directly responsible for overseeing the generation of $800,000 in annual gross revenue through UMOM's two signature events: the fall Queen of Hearts Casino Royale Gala & Jack of Clubs Afterparty and the spring Hope in Motion 5K & Block Party.
In addition to these flagship events, the Events Manager oversees the end-to-end planning and execution of a range of initiatives, including in-kind donation drives in partnership with corporate supporters, on-campus events in collaboration with the Volunteer Manager, and other community-facing opportunities that drive donor engagement, stewardship, and awareness of UMOM's mission.
This position is also responsible for tracking and managing operational cost offsets generated through in-kind giving by overseeing all in-kind drives and donations. This includes coordinating internally and externally with key stakeholders to ensure accurate tracking, reporting, and alignment with organizational needs. The role also manages the procurement and execution of the silent auction for the fall Gala, ensuring a strong pipeline of in-kind contributions that support fundraising goals.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Donor-Centered Events
- Serve as the primary lead for event planning and coordination, communicating directly with the Chief Development Officer, Director of Advancement, and Development Team to ensure alignment on goals, timelines, and requirements; manage event budgets, coordinate guest lists, oversee vendor communications, and ensure seamless coordination across all internal and external stakeholders.
- Work in tandem with the Development Team to develop and execute effective event strategies that support fundraising and engagement goals.
- Develop and manage detailed project plans, timelines, and run-of-show documents to ensure seamless execution across all phases of each event.
- Meet with sponsors, committees, organizations, and executives to define event scope, format, budget, administrative details, and fundraising goals.
- Negotiate contracts with venues, caterers, A/V providers, and other vendors to secure services while meeting budgetary objectives.
- Ensure compliance with all venue requirements, permits, insurance, and safety protocols, proactively identifying and mitigating risk.
- Lead all aspects of event execution, from preparation and setup through teardown, serving as the on-site lead and directing staff, volunteers, and vendors to ensure a high-quality experience and overall participant and sponsor satisfaction.
- Execute post-event follow-up, including meeting with the ELT and Development Team to assess outcomes, review invoices and approve payments, and document issues and resolutions. This role is also responsible for reconciling the Events Manager budget against the Finance budget and Virtuous data to ensure alignment and accuracy across all reporting.
- Track and analyze event performance, including revenue, expenses, attendance, and ROI, to inform future strategy and continuous improvement.
- Continuously evaluate venues, vendors, and service providers to inform future event planning and build a strong knowledge base to better serve donors, ELT, and the Development Team.
Development Activity
- Represent UMOM and present the organization's work at select donor convenings, affinity groups, and community engagements.
- Develop strategies to identify and execute events that resonate with key donor demographics.
Other duties as assigned by Leadership and/or executives.
Qualifications and Competency Requirements:
Experience and Education
- Bachelor'sdegreeorequivalentcombination of related work experience and education
- Minimum of five years of professional experience, with at least three years of experience in relevant major event and community engagement roles required.
- Demonstrated experience building relationships with individuals, organizations, and businesses.
- Strong communication skills and ability to effectively communicate with the team on projects.
- Excellent planning, time management, and organizational skills.
- Ability to prioritize tasks effectively and to work on numerous projects simultaneously.
- Ability to adjust focus quickly and easily shift from one project to another.
- Demonstrated experience bringing creative and innovative ideas to event planning.
- Ability to work with large groups of people as well as independently.
- Ability to handle high-stress situations calmly and professionally.
- Knowledge of non-profit/social sector and/or experience working with underserved or disadvantaged populations is a plus
Computer Skills
- Proficiency with applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
- Previous experience with volunteer or donor management software is strongly preferred
Compliance
- Valid Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card or the ability to obtain one
- Ability to clear the Central Registry Screening from the Department of Child Safety & Adult Protective Services.
- Ability to comply with and pass all required background check and drug screening requirements, including but not limited to pre-employment and random drug screening as required/requested.
- Valid AZ Driver's License and a driving record that falls within UMOM's policy
- 50/100 level of car insurance coverage.
Physical activities and Working Conditions
The physical demands and working conditions described here are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- This position requires an elevated level of energy and stamina and is typically performed in a variety of environments. The dutiesof the job require extensive communication with venders, internal leadership, and other staff.
- Additionally, this position requires the ability to review and run through all major events which may require extended periods of standing, walking, bending, and lifting.
- This position is typically performed in an interior, environmentally controlled office setting. The duties of the job require extended periods of time being stationary and manipulating a computer (keyboard, monitor, mouse), and other standard office equipment including, but not limited to printer, fax, calculator, copier, telephone and associated computer/technology peripherals.
Additional Attributes
- Willingness and ability to work a flexible schedule that may include evenings, weekends, and extended hours during event seasons.
- Adheres to the highest ethical standards; demonstrates empathetic disposition, and perseverance; reflects optimistic and positive attitude and conveys sensitivity to needs of the donors and beneficiaries of UMOM's mission.
- Willingness to embrace and actively support the unique culture and values of UMOM
- Ability to focus on the tasks and details relevant to the position and the organization, while also switching quickly between tasks
- Ability to exercise excellent independent judgment and take ownership of decisions
- Ability to think on a broad, systems-level relative to the scope of the position
- Ability to work independently and self-manage to achieve goals while being a strong team player
- Ability to organize, meet deadlines, prioritize and delegate appropriately
- Ability to cope with and embrace change, risk, and uncertainty
- Ability to develop strong relationships within a fast-paced, collaborative setting that values diverse opinions; enthusiasm for helping drive change as UMOM becomes a more data-driven organization
Work Schedule: The typical schedule for this position is Monday-Friday, normal business hours, with occasional nights and weekends to accommodate fundraising events, in-kind donation events, on-campus client events, committee meetings, networking events, and corporate events. A portion of the work in this position can be conducted remotely if desired, however, the incumbent must be able to meet with venders and donors, visit venues, work, and come to the office for specific meetings and engagements.
Other: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Background Screens
This position requires the selected candidate to have the ability to obtain, maintain and possess a valid Arizona Department of Public Safety Class One Fingerprint Clearance Card (FPCC). If the selected candidate does not currently possess an FPCC, UMOM will cover the cost of obtaining a card.
In addition, all UMOM employees must pass a Central Registry Background Check (CBC) through the Department of Child Safety (DCS) and Adult Protective Services (APS).
Drug Screening
All new hires must successfully pass the required drug screening.